You've heard about the pub with no beer? Meet the brewery that ran dry. Angkor Draft
became Angkor Drought this week when Malaysian-owned Cambrew closed its Sihanoukville
brewery for routine cleaning and repairs, but seemingly forgot to calculate stock
levels.
The result: a shortage at the national brewer, vendor of half the country's pints
of draft lager. A spokesman said the situation was now in hand: the company's trucks
were barrelling around the country delivering the well-known brew less than two days
after being caught short.
A lack of beverage was not the only problem: the spokesman admitted a shortage of
carbon dioxide cylinders meant there was no fizz for those pubs lucky enough to have
a keg, leaving both beer and management feeling a little flat.
Cambrew tried to play down the incident that left thirsty punters in despair, but
admitted company reps had spent the week placating irate bar owners. A barrage of
complaints sent the brewer steaming back into production, but even then not everyone
was satisfied: at least one bar owner was forced to return barrels of under-fermented
brew. Angkor Draft, queried thirsty drinkers? Angkor Flat, more like.
